Earthquake Resistant Adjustable Wall Hook

ABSTRACT

A wall hook useful for hanging framed pictures and other objects on a wall. The hook is formed form metal sheet, configured to provide a narrow aperture to contain the selected hanging wire. That hook aperture can be easily adjusted in size using conventional tools to bring the opening to a close slip fit to the actual wire diameter thereby further reducing any possibility that the wire would escape during seismic activity. A dual post wall hook embodiment can be installed using a latch arm that closes the aperture of wall hook to further secure the hanging wire.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to wall hooks for hanging pictures andother objects on a wall, more particularly for a hook that can readilybe adjusted to provide a suitable gap for a slip fit for various wirediameters. This simple inexpensive hook provides good security so that apicture would not be released by wall vibration imposed from typicalseismic activity. The hook gap or aperture can be readily adjusted byhand. A version of the hook with dual wall post attachments providesespecially high strength closure and the security of an optional latcharm that closes the gap or aperture to secure the picture wire into thehook.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Decorating one's home or place of business with wall hangings is anactivity practiced with frequent repetition. One consequence is thecontinuing requirement for hanging wall pictures and decorative objects.On the occasion where the objects to be hung have some personal ormonetary value, there is a desire to minimize the risk of accidentaldamage. The described hook and method of use allows a significantincrease in security with no significant additional cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is the general purpose of the present invention toprovide a wall hook that is conformable so as to provide a slip fit tovarious wire gauges that are used for hanging pictures and otherdecorative wall objects.

The standard hooks available are of a wide open design that offerslittle protection from escape due to seismic induced wall vibrations. Awall hook design that employs a slip fit to the hanging wire would havea low probability of escaping the hook.

This inventive wall hook can be conformed by hand or hand tools asrequired to achieve a close slip fit of the hook aperture to the hangingwire. The design of this hook allows for easy adjustment to the radiusthat determines hook opening aperture. This single piece hook offersincreased security to the hanging object at practically no cost increaseover current basic wall hook hangers.

Where there may be particular concern about the safety of a particularwall hanging object, the inventive hook can be used in combination witha safety pin to insure that the wire would not escape due to seismicvibration.

Another option for safety of a particular wall item employs a two-pointattachment wall hook. That dual-hook version of the wall hook has anoptional closing latch that can be installed on one side of the dualhook. When the closing latch arm is vertical, the picture wire can slipinto the aperture of the wall hooks, but when the latch arm is rotatedinto a horizontal position, it locks the latch to prevent the escape ofthe picture wire.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The aforementioned objects and advantages of the present invention, aswell as additional objects and advantages thereof, will be more fullyunderstood herein after as a result of a detailed description of apreferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the followingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of prior art wall hook;

FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of a first embodiment of theinventive wall hook;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view depicting how the hook aperture may beadjusted with hand tools to closely conform to a selected wire diameter;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of how the hook aperture may be opened upby use of a flat blade screwdriver;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a two-post wall hook embodiment suitablefor heavier load applications. This two-post hook is shown with anoptional latch arm to be installed for maximum security of a wallobject;

FIG. 6 is a perspective of inventive wall hook of FIG. 2 showing how anoptional safety pin can be installed over the hanging wire between thelegs of the wall-hook; and

FIG. 7 is a detailed enlarged view of the safety pin of FIG. 6.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS AND THE USE THEREOF

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a prior art wall hook(s) 10. Theprior art hook has a portion 12 for attachment to a wall surface and ahooked member 14 for receiving a wire of a hanging object. There is noprovision for locking the wire to secure the hanging object during anearthquake.

FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of a first embodiment of theinventive wall hook 15 which is supplied with an appropriate pan-headscrew for attachment to a wall or to a wall anchor. The hook istypically a single piece that can be described as having a base 16, legs18 and a lip section 20. The hook can be produced by stamping out theperiphery with the center cutout. The hook is then formed to provide thelip section 20 of the hook, and then bent to form the legs 18 to providea hairpin radius section 22.

FIG. 3 shows that the hook has a narrow aperture 24 to accept hangingwires. However the narrow section of the legs allows the aperture to beadjusted by applying a force (compression or tension) to the lip sectionof the hook. The adjusting force results in deformation in the radiusarea 22, thereby controlling the aperture width. This adjustmentprocedure allows for aperture 24 to provide a close slip fit for thediameter of the selected wire.

On installation, the base of the hook assembly is pinned against thewall by the supplied screw that installs to a wall anchor or to a barewall surface. The hook aperture provides clearance between the head ofthe installation screw, and the opposing face of the lip of hook. Thisinventive hook has a narrow aperture which provides an advantage ofreducing the likelihood of the suspended picture escaping the hook as aresult of seismic vibrations in the wall.

When maximum security of the suspended object is desired, a two-postwall hook embodiment 25 is suitable (FIG. 5). This two-post wall hookprovides additional strength in the wall attachment and has an optionallatch 26 which when installed with hook, serves to securely close theaperture 24 of the lip.

If additional wire security is required for the one post wall-hook 15,an optional safety pin 30 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) can be installed over thepicture wire between the legs 18 of the wall-hook, which then blocks thewire from escape of the hook aperture.

This single post wall hook is suitable for use with the light dutyhollow wall anchors available in today's marketplace. This inventivewall hook in combination with a wall anchor would meet requirements forlight to medium duty hanging loads.

For heavier duty applications, a two-post wall hook embodiment 25 ofFIG. 5 provides the increased load capacity of a dual post wall anchor.The dual post anchor can be installed with an optional latch arm 26 thatwhen closed, secures the hanging wire into the wall hook aperture.

These and other objects are accomplished within the present invention byproviding a stamped out and formed single piece hook that can readilyadjusted to fit the particular hanging wire. One of these inventivehooks could be used multiple times for various objects suspended withdifferent wire gages by simple adjustment of the lip section.

It will now be understood that the present invention comprises a uniquewall hook configuration that provides increased security for holdingwall hangings even during earthquake-induced vibrations. Whilealternative embodiments have been disclosed herein, it will be clearthat the scope hereof is to be determined solely by the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A wall hook for capture of a hanging wire of decorative items such as pictures and other wall decor, said wall hook having a readily adjustable aperture formed by a turned up lip section having a radius that may be changed to accommodate different wire diameters.
 2. The wall hook of claim 1 said adjustable aperture providing a slip fit to a hanging wire.
 3. The wall hook of claim 1 further comprising a safety pin to increase the security of the object by overlying the wire in said aperture.
 4. A wall hook as recited in claim 1 that combines a pair of bent lip portions and a latch arm that can be installed into the wall screw of at least one of the bent lip portions whereby when the latch arm is rotated to horizontal, the arm is locked into position by a hook aperture, thereby closing the aperture to prevent escape of the wall decoration item.
 5. A wall hook apparatus for securing a wire of a wall hanging to a wall, the wall hook comprising: a stamped out and formed metal piece having a base section with aperture for a wall screw, with an integral pair of bent legs merging into a lip member that may be adjusted to form a variable slip fit for said wire. 